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335620-Text de L'article-482801-1-10-20180313 PDF
335620-Text de L'article-482801-1-10-20180313 PDF
Fundamentos
Conceptuales y
Didácticos
tectónica de placas
Instituto Geológico y Minero de España. C/ Ríos Rosas 23, 28003 Madrid. E-mail: l.carcavilla@igme.es
Abstract Plate Tectonics gave a satisfactory explanation of the origin and distribution of the
mountain ranges on the planet. The original model of the continental collision and the
formation of orogens remains valid, although it has been nuanced in many aspects. The
main discovery that redesigned the initial model of the continental collision was the
verification of continental subduction. The discovery of ultra-high-pressure rocks and
minerals led to a reinterpretation of processes such as mantle channel, to explain not only
how these rocks could form but also how they could reach the surface. The subduction
zones were reinterpreted as “go and back” routes, with important consequences for the
evolution of the lithosphere and mantle. On the other hand, new technological advances
have allowed to discover aspects related to the flow of the magmas in the crust. Thus, in
the last decade the processes that lead to the formation and evolution of large plutonic
masses have been reinterpreted and it has been discovered that, under certain conditions
of pressure and temperature, magmas can move laterally for hundreds of kilometers in
a process called “channel flow” that explains the evolution of the orogens. In the article,
these new features are reviewed and related to each other to give a more complete view of
the processes involved in the formation of the great mountain ranges.
ENTRANDO EN EL CANAL
Fig. 10. Esquemas de formación de un plutón por incrementos. Durante la formación del plutón, el flujo de energía térmica
es modesta, permitiendo a los plutones ensamblarse incrementalmente durante millones de años si la actividad magmática
persiste. Solo algunas estarían parcialmente fundidas en cada momento, marcadas con color cada vez más intenso en los
esquemas. El plutón se forma por aportes de diques en profundidad alimentando intrusiones laminares a profundidades
menores. Modificado de Glazner et al. (2004).